Watching American Football in Rome & the rest of Italy. Where and How?

Even if Italians can barely tell Rugby from (American) football, the little minority of local American football buffs is well organized and active so as to give you several opportunities to watch the Superbowl in Italy.

Let’s start from the easy and free options. If you are staying in a hotel, B & B, hostel or residence you are very likely to have a TV set in your room or in other common spaces of your accommodation. In this case, the easiest option is the Italian TV channel SportItalia2 that every DTT (digital terrestrial) TV should have. It shouldn’t be difficult finding it at number 61. The comment, however, will be in Italian.

If you want a US comment for the game then you need to find a satellite TV. If you are in 4 or 5 star hotel you have good chances to have one in your own room. Unfortunately, though, most hotels only have a limited choice of channels and ESPN America, channel 214, is seldom part of the package. Double-check on this.

If you decide to hit the road, follow these instructions. Don’t be fooled by bars and pubs that show the Super Bowl at midnight! 99% of them will not let you see it until the end. They’ll close around 1 or 2 and they have no choice. You know Italy is a red-tape country and there are severe rules on closing hours. Most of the bar-pub-restarant licenses have a 2 am curfew limit.

I don’t think you want to go to bed after having just seen the first half of the Super Bowl, do I?

Then, if you want to see the whole game these are the options in ROME.

La Botticella, in via di Tor Millina 32, is very close to one of Rome’s most famous landmarks, Piazza Navona. FYI this little pub is the Roman base of Pittsburgh Steelers supporters.

If you prefer a larger venue, move a couple of blocks and reach the Irish pub Abbey Theatre in via del Governo Vecchio 51. This place has got 7 rooms on two floors, it shouldn’t be too difficult finding a seat here.

Another Irish pub showing the whole Patriots-Giants game is the Scholars Lounge, in via del Plebiscito 101. This pub is literally packed with screens, big and small, therefore it will be easy to have a good view of the game, but it is not a big space and many tourists will also stop by simply beacause they happen to walk past it given its central location. I guess it will also be packed with people.

Also very central is the Scottish pub Highlander. It is in a little road close to via del Corso, vicolo di San Biagio 9. If you want to reserve your seat there, you’ve got to call first and then show up before 10 pm.

If you want to watch the game amongst Italian this is the right place to go in Rome. Hard Rock Cafe is hosting a special Superbowl night sponsored by ESPN America and organized by EndzoneItaly’s best american football website and forum: 20€ for 2 Budweiser beers and popcorns, from 9pm in Via Veneto 62. Booking required.

A new entry in Rome’s American Football bars scene is the Penny Lane pub, near the Vatican. Check this out also because you will find us and some of the best English-language bloggers of Rome there…

Another new Super Bowl pub is On the Rox. Here are the details of their party in Testaccio.

The Crazy Bull Cafe of Via Riano, 1, in the residential area of Ponte Milvio/Corso Francia, will screen the game and host the Grizzlies.

Let’s see what happens in the REST OF ITALY.

The other ESPN America/Endzone Super Bowl night here in Italy will take place in Monza, near Milan. It will be at Kookaburra, in via Buonarroti 115.

In the city of Milan you have two options. With the Seamen Milano at the Bloody Mary. Or, like the previous 17 years, at the Fiori Oscuri Bistrot in via Fiori Oscuri 3, with lots of pre-game actvities starting off with the annual Beer Pong Tourney. About 300 people are expected to show up.

Thanks to the contribution of our Endzone friends we’ve got to know that Veneto has 3 different screenings at least. One in Venice at the Hard Rock Cafe, one in Mestre (via Don Sturzo 43) at Cafe Royale with the local footbal players of the Venezia Islanders, and the third one in Castelfranco Veneto, at the Underground Pub, in Via Fabio Filzi 37/a, with the town’s football team, the Cavaliers.

Also in Turin something is going on, the Endzone people have organized a special football night at the New Castle Pubin downtown Turin.

In eastern Liguria, Chiavari seems to be the right place to watch the game. At la Terrazza in Corso Colombo with the Predatori! On the western side Loano is your destination. The Pirates will be at the Class Cafè of Via Roma, 34.

Just to inform you that Superbowl will be broadcasted also from Sportitalia 2 (with Italian commentary, of course), a FTA DTT TV network.
They will broadcast both Superbowl and Lingerie Bowl live on ch. 61 DTT.

Bar called Fiorio Scuri in Milan – I watched SuperBowl 49 there!
Good bar with loads of TVs – no admission fee just pay for what you drink.
On Superbowl night the place is full of Americans who live in Milan so the atmosphere is great.http://www.fiorioscuri.com/